The Wedding Day
by JoolsFan
Summary: A description of Georg and Maria's wedding day... with an unexpected guest. I put up a fourth chapter with alternative G-rated ending. PLEASE send feedback!
1. The Morning of the Wedding

THE MORNING OF THE WEDDING  
  
It was strange waking up in her old room at the abbey, Maria thought as she looked around at the plain white walls. She'd slept better than she'd expected though, she had thought the nervousness for her wedding day would have kept her awake throughout the night. Fortunately she'd been so tired from all the preparations for the wedding that she had managed to sleep quite well after all.  
  
She looked at her wedding dress, which was on a hanger on the outside of her dresser. It was absolutely gorgeous, simple, elegant... she loved it. She hoped Georg would like it, too. She thought he would. But then again, he'd been so impatient for this day to arrive... he probably wouldn't mind if she wore a gunnysack, as long as she said "I do"!  
  
It had been a good idea to spend the last night before the wedding in the abbey. Maria felt it was both a sort of final goodbye, and a very convenient solution for her: the sisters would be there to help her prepare for the wedding in peace and there was no chance Georg would catch a glimpse of her in her dress before the ceremony. The children would get dressed at home - Liesl and Frau Schmidt would help the little ones get ready, and Max could look after the boys a bit.  
  
She wondered what Georg was thinking. Would he be as anxious as she? Oh, she was exited, but also a little bit, well.... scared. She would be the centre of attention all day, everybody who was anybody in Salzburg would be in the church, looking at her as she walked down the aisle. And she wasn't even thinking about the wedding night - the thought of that made her even more nervous. She knew about the physical part - the Mother Abbess had even subtly informed her on that the evening before, which had been a rather embarrassing moment. But she was more worried about how it would go, what would happen once Georg and she were alone. How would she know what to do? Better not think about that - she should just try and enjoy this day, her wedding day, and let things come as they came.  
  
With that uplifting thought, she turned back the covers and jumped out of bed. Just when she reached for her dressing gown, there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Come in," Maria answered.  
  
Sister Margaretta entered the room. She looked bright and very awake, but then again, the nuns got up early each day to go to morning Mass. Maria smiled at her. She'd always liked sister Margaretta very much.  
  
"Good morning dear. I just wanted to make sure if you got some sleep?"  
  
Maria nodded happily. Then she noticed sister Margaretta looking at the neckline of her nightgown, which was visible under her open dressing gown. It wasn't anything like the nightgowns she was used to wearing when she was still in the convent. This one was of a creamy colour and made of soft, shining silk. It had thin straps over her shoulders, leaving the top of her back bare, and had a V-neck lined with lace. It was not extremely revealing, but Maria felt it was very out of place here. She covered herself up with her dressing gown quickly.  
  
"Oh I am sorry sister Margaretta," she apologized. "But the dressmaker who helped me with my new wardrobe suggested this nightgown for the wedding night - I like it but I've never slept in anything like this before and I just wanted to know what it would feel like!" Maria felt her face turn red and looked away from Margaretta. She couldn't believe what she had just said - why would sister Margaretta care what she'd wear on her wedding night?  
  
But Margaretta smiled. " It's very pretty, Maria. And, maybe you'd like to come and have some breakfast?"  
  
Maria nodded gratefully. "Yes, I'll be right there", she said, and Margaretta left.  
  
Quickly, Maria put on the dress she'd worn yesterday when she arrived. She would put her wedding dress on later, she didn't want to sit around in it all morning. She walked to the breakfast hall and realized this would be the very last time she'd be having breakfast at the convent. It was a strange feeling. She'd miss the Abbey, but she was also convinced now that the life of a nun would not have suited her. The Reverend Mother was right - she had found her life, the life she was born to live.  
  
After breakfast, when most of the nuns went about their tasks, Maria returned to her room. She packed the few belongings she'd brought for this one night into her bag, and then took a shower. She put on the silk underwear and slip that went with her wedding dress. Then she sat down on the only chair in the room and waited for sister Margaretta end the Reverend Mother, who were coming to help her get dressed. While she sat and waited, her thoughts drifted toward her conversation with the Mother Abbes the evening before.  
  
Georg had taken her to the Abbey by car. He'd parked the car and walked her to the gate of the convent, carrying her bag. He had agreed that it was a good idea for Maria to stay the night in the convent, but he seemed reluctant to say goodbye, even for one night.  
  
He kissed her and held her close to him. "I wish we wouldn't have to be apart for another night," he whispered into her ear.  
  
" It's just one more night... we'll be able to manage that," Maria had smiled in return. Then she'd kissed him back, and they'd stood there in the dusk for a few minutes without speaking, just kissing each other passionately.  
  
In the end, Maria was the one to pull out of the embrace. She felt after all these weeks of holding back, she was about to give in to all of her desires right there on the threshold of the convent garden. Before losing grip completely, she figured she should put an end to their kisses. "Till tomorrow. Sweet dreams," she whispered, grabbed her bag, and slipped through the gate, leaving Georg standing outside sighing. He watched her until she'd gone inside, and then drove away.  
  
When Maria walked in, she was met by the Mother Abbess. Apparently, the woman had heard the car stop and had wanted to go out to greet Maria and the Captain, but had quickly stopped in her tracks when she realized she'd be about to walk in on a heated embrace. She hugged Maria and kissed her cheek.  
  
"Good evening my child. I'm so glad to see you," she greeted her. "I'm glad to see you too, Mother," answered Maria. "You look beautiful. I can tell you are happy," said the Reverend Mother. "I'm glad. Come to my office, we will drink some tea and have a talk."  
  
After one of the sisters had brought some tea and they were both comfortable, the Mother Abbes said: "Now look at you dear. Only a few months ago you wanted to spend your life as a nun. But tomorrow, you will be a married woman and the mother of seven!" Maria smiled. She loved Georg and she loved the children. How lucky she was to be getting it all in one go! "Yes Mother. And I want to thank you. You knew my life was not in this convent, and I am so grateful for you wisdom."  
  
Of course, the Mother Abbess didn't want to hear this praise. "Maria, you have found your life and your love with the help of God. Thank Him, not me." And then, she'd started to talk about the wedding night. The Mother Abbess knew Maria had grown up mostly without parents, and particularly the lack of a mother made her want to take over that role at this important moment in Maria's life. "My dear, I couldn't help but notice your goodbye to Captain von Trapp." Maria felt a blush shoot to her cheeks and only produced a mumbled ' oh'. The Reverend Mother smiled quietly to herself, without Maria noticing.  
  
"You seemed quite, eh, comfortable with each other... Still, I thought maybe you had some questions I could help you with regarding your wedding night?" Maria turned even redder. Having spent most of her life in the company of cows and sheep, she knew very well what to expect - at least in theory, and she assumed correctly that the Mother Abbess wouldn't be able to help out at all with the practical side. But she didn't want to stop her from speaking either. So, Maria kept quiet and listened to the old woman's explanation of how she was supposed to do her duty as a wife, that she should allow her husband his conjugal rights, etcetera, etcetera. Somehow, through her embarrassment, she thought - hoped - that it wouldn't be like that. Nor her knowledge of the animals, nor her biology book, nor the Mother Abbess seemed to think there was anything pleasurable about the whole business. But if their ever more heated embraces were any indication, there would be pleasure! And desire, and love.... she'd felt herself tingle all over at Georg's kisses, his cautiously exploring hands stroking her. She'd been wanting more, feeling that there must be something she wasn't hearing about. Not yet anyway, she was sure to find out soon enough.  
  
So, when the Reverend Mother cleared her throat (she was obviously a bit embarrassed herself) Maria quickly thanked her, and excused herself.  
  
But that had been yesterday. Maria shook off the thought of it, and as if they had known she was ready, sister Margaretta and the Reverend Mother appeared at her doorstep to help her get ready. The wedding was at noon, so there was plenty of time.  
  
The nuns helped Maria into her beautiful dress, making sure she didn't step on it and carefully buttoning up all the small buttons on her back. Last thing they put on her veil and the laurel wrath that kept it in place. When Maria was ready, she looked into a mirror and looked at herself in surprise. She hardly recognised herself in this gorgeous gown... she looked so.... grown-up and beautiful! She'd always considered herself rather plain, but now she understood why the baroness had said that she was 'quite attractive'. She smiled nervously and breathed deep. A knock on the door came and sister Sophia peeked her head into the room. Like the others had done, she told Maria again and again how beautiful she looked. Then she handed her a bouquet of flowers.  
  
"Captain von Trapp is at the church, and he brought your bouquet," she said. Maria accepted it gratefully and buried her face in the fresh roses and lilacs. So Georg had arrived at the church... he was only a few minutes away from her now. She swallowed away her nerves and turned to the door. This was it. Time to go.  
  
While waiting for the organ to begin playing, the nuns made some final adjustments to Maria's dress and veil. Then she walked to the gate at the back of the church, where she was met by Liesl, the bridesmaid, and Marta and Gretl, who'd be flower girls. They didn't say anything but the smiles on their faces told Maria they too were both very happy, and nervous.  
  
And then the moment was there. The little girls started their walk toward the altar, followed by Liesl, and then Maria found herself walking down the isle toward her fiancé.  
  
When she saw him standing at the bottom of the stairs to the altar, Maria's heart jumped. How handsome he looked in his naval uniform, with all the decorations. And she could tell from his face that he was just as proud of her, as she was walking toward him. Still nervous, but feeling stronger, Maria bravely strode forward and gratefully took Georg's hand when she reached him. Their eyes met, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Then, they turned to face the priest together. 


	2. Finally Married

Hi all, here's part two of what will become a three-part story. The G- warning only applies to the last part. LOL. this chapter is still PG-13. Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you like it so far. Please let me know what you think of this chapter as well. I'll finish up and put up the last part ASAP (I wouldn't want to cause you sleepless nights frosty freeze!!!).  
  
FINALLY MARRIED  
  
The priest cleared his throat, louder this second time, and now they heard him. With apologetic smiles they broke off their kiss - after he had said; "You may kiss the bride" they'd forgotten for a moment they were in front of a church full of guests. Georg and Maria sent a beaming look at each other and then turned around, and to the beautiful sound of the organ started walking back down the aisle as man and wife. At the bottom of the steps, they stopped for a moment to receive kisses and hugs from the children. Then they walked on, watched by every one in the church, and even the most sceptic of onlookers was now convinced that no matter how unusual a match: it was obvious that these two were made for each other, and very much in love!  
  
As soon as they were out of the church and the door of a small side room closed behind them, Georg flung his arms around Maria and pulled her toward him tightly. "I love you, I love you, my dear wife," he whispered into her ear, followed by a deep, passionate kiss. "I love you too, my husband," answered Maria, when she had to stop kissing to catch her breath for a second. They continued their kiss, and for a few minutes forgot everything around them, until a knock on the door interrupted them. Georg lifted his eyes up at the sky. "This had better be good." he murmured, annoyed at how life could be so cruel.  
  
It was Max. Not at all happy that Max had disturbed them in a private moment, Georg snapped at him: "What?" Max looked over Georg's shoulder at Maria's flushed face, and grinned. He really did not begrudge them their privacy, but Georg himself had asked him to make sure the day would go smoothly - and that was exactly what he was doing now. "Your car is waiting for you to take you to the hotel. The reception guests will be arriving soon, so you might want to make sure you get there as well," Max told him. Georg's expression softened a bit. Yes of course, the guests. he'd completely forgotten. He thanked Max, who closed the door again, and turned back to Maria. He kissed her again. "Even though it's the last thing I care about right now. I guess Max is right and we will have to go and meet our guests." He kissed her forehead. "Can't we tell them we've both suddenly caught a cold, and they all should go home?" Maria smiled at him. "Mmm.. Not a bad idea.. But I don't think we'll get away with it. No sir, we must be patient for few more hours," and with a kiss on the tip of his nose, she took his hand and pulled him toward the door.  
  
The wedding reception and dinner would be held at the Altstadt Hotel in Salzburg. This old, beautiful hotel had a lovely, elegant dining room where they could have a private dinner and party. And besides that, Georg had also booked the bridal suite for tonight. He knew it was on the top floor, and the view of Salzburg would be beautiful.  
  
When the newlyweds arrived, a few of the guests were already there and they came up to meet and wish them happiness right away. For the next hour, Georg and Maria were busy accepting all kinds of good wishes from their guests, who kept coming in. Even though Maria had known there'd be so many people, she was still a bit overwhelmed. There were lots of people she'd only met once, some never even, before today. But most of them were friendly and sincere in their good luck wishes. However, there were also a few guests in whose eyes she could read something else: wonder, contempt, or even disgust. But they had both expected this. She and Georg had discussed it a couple of times and they knew that their unusual match and the events that had led up to their engagement would provide lots of ingredients for a good load of gossip. And every time one of the disapproving stares - some hidden, some quite plain - landed on Maria, Georg squeezed her hand softly and would smile at her. Maria was strengthened enough by this to just shrug, and not let herself be affected.  
  
Dinner followed, and even though the food was lovely, neither Georg nor Maria tasted much of the Wiener schnitzel or even the delicious Apfelstrudel. As the evening lengthened, they'd become less able to pay attention to their guest and were more and more just gazing into each other's eyes, or talking with their heads close together. For quite a while they held hands under the table.  
  
They had agreed that Max would take the children home by ten o'clock. When the time came to go, Maria and Georg walked with them to the hall of the hotel to see them off and say their goodbyes. As they'd be leaving for their honeymoon the next day, they would not see the children for a few weeks.  
  
"Can't we stay a little bit longer father, please?" Brigitta pleaded. The others joined in, practically begging to be allowed to stay. Georg smiled, but remained strict. "Look at Marta and Gretl," he said, nodding his head towards the two youngest girls, who could indeed hardly stand on their feet anymore. "No sweethearts, time to say goodnight. And anyway, the party won't go on for much longer, so you won't miss much." Brigitta wasn't to be brushed off this easily. She turned toward Maria and looked at her with her big blue eyes. "Please.. Mother?" Even though Maria's heart melted at being called "mother" for the first time, she agreed with her husband. She could see in the children's faces how tired they all were. So she shook her head, and started hugging the children all in turn. It took a while to say elaborate goodbyes to seven children, but finally, everyone had been hugged, kissed, and made to promise to behave well and listen to Liesl, Uncle Max and Frau Schmidt.  
  
While the children bustled outside under loud goodbyes and with a few last waves over their shoulders, Max put his arms around Maria and kissed her cheek. "Have a lovely trip, dear," he said to her. "You are the best thing that could have possibly happened to him." And then he added; "Now if you could only use your charms to get him to allow the children to sing in the festival!" Maria laughed out loud. This was typical of Max. "I'll see what I can do," she whispered at him with a smile. And then in a normal tone of voice added; "Goodbye!" She looked on as Max heartily shook Georg's hand and wished him a good trip as well. And then she looked away, pretending she hadn't heard his whispered: "And you'd better be gentle with her." From the corner of her eye she saw Georg looking at Max with that warning expression - then saw his face change into a small smile, and nod. With a final "Bye then," Max turned and walked toward the door. Georg and Maria turned to walk back to the dining room and their guests, when Maria noticed something white lying on the floor. It was Liesl's woollen wrap. She picked it up and handed it to Georg. "Darling, it's Liesl's wrap. She'll get so cold in the car, won't you run and see if you can still catch them and give it to her?"  
  
She watched as her new husband quickly disappeared out the door, and heard him calling out to Max. She stood and waited until he would return. But when the doorman opened the doors again, it was not Georg who walked in. It was an uninvited guest - Herr Zeller!  
  
Maria looked at him in utter surprise. She knew that she and Georg had taken a bit of a risk by not inviting him. But apart from getting an even larger grudge against them than he already had, there was not much Herr Zeller could do to express his dissatisfaction. And they had certainly never expected him to show up uninvited.  
  
Zeller walked up to Maria and let his eyes travel up and down her before he spoke. "Good evening, Baroness Von Trapp," he said, with that annoying fake politeness of his. Maria could her the disapproval in his voice. "Herr Zeller." She nodded, keeping her voice neutral, not even wishing him a good evening back. "May I congratulate you on your marriage? And your husband too, of course. Where is he?" "He has just stepped outside for a second,'' Maria replied, inwardly praying that Georg would hurry and get back inside. "I see. Well, I must say you look very beautiful today. It is obvious now why the Captain couldn't keep his hands off of you." Maria's face flushed red with anger, but she tried to remain calm. She absolutely did not want to create a scene on her wedding day. So she only replied with a cold: "Excuse me?" Herr Zeller took another step towards her, obviously trying to intimidate her a bit. "Come now my dear, you must know that the whole town speaks of this disgrace. Why would Captain von Trapp be in such a hurry to break off his engagement to a noblewoman and marry his governess, if there was no. pressing reason for him to do so?" He let his stare linger on Maria's stomach, in case she hadn't understood what he had hinted at. For an instant, Maria was actually daunted. The idea that people thought so badly of her and Georg was making her sad. Then anger at the accusation took over. But before she could say anything, she noticed Georg standing in the hall again, looking intently at Herr Zeller and herself. How long had he been standing there? What had he heard?  
  
Breathing heavily, his eyes never leaving Herr Zeller, Georg made his way to them and put his arm around Maria's waist. From the icy stare in his eyes, Maria could tell he had heard most of the conversation. When Georg spoke, the repressed anger in his voice sent a shiver down Maria's spine. "If this was not my own wedding party I would knock you out. Now please leave. I do not recall sending you an invitation, especially not to come and insult my wife," Georg said coldly. Herr Zeller was not impressed. He tried his little smile again. "Now captain, don't be upset. Man to man, I think you've done a fine job getting such a lovely nun into your bed." Maria was just in time to grab Georg's arm and pull, stopping him from lurching at Herr Zeller's throat. "Georg, no!" she whispered at him urgently. "He's not worth it. Look at me. LOOK at me!" She pulled his arm again, forcing him to look into her face. She just shook her head. "Come Georg, please?" He took a deep breath and squeezed her hands. Nodding his head, he turned round, never looking at Herr Zeller again. Maria did look at him though. Suddenly, she felt no anger anymore. This man was just too despicable to spend any thought on. Then she noticed he wore a wedding ring. "I pity your wife, Herr Zeller. It must be terrible to be married to a man who doesn't know what it feels like to love." Then she briskly turned as well, and walked with Georg back to the dining room.  
  
As soon as they were back inside, Georg pulled Maria close to him and mumbled into her hair: "I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Maria pressed him against her even harder. "It doesn't matter," she answered. "It's just the vicious gossip of one man." Georg hummed in agreement. Then he lifted her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. "Still I'm very proud of how you handled yourself. But then of course I knew you had enough spirit in you to stand up to a stupid, stubborn man." he smiled down at her, and when her face broke into a smile too, kissed her.  
  
Soon after, the first guests were leaving, and the party drew to a close. As the last guests were finishing their drinks, Georg stood up and cleared his throat. The guests went silent and looked at him.  
  
"Dear friends," Georg began. "I want to thank you all very much for your wishes and congratulations. Maria and I" - he looked sideways at her and smiled - "are grateful that you have shared this beautiful day with us. However since our train leaves early in the morning for our honeymoon. we will now leave you to finish this party by yourselves, while we get some well-needed sleep in this hotel's beautiful bridal suite. Goodnight, and thank you." A small round of applause followed this little speech, as did a soft murmur among the guests: "Yes, I'm sure they'll get a lot of sleep," and "Getting some rest, on their wedding night I'm sure," were some of the remarks Maria could make out from the hum. Blushing slightly, she got up as well, and nodding and shaking hands with several guests, they made their way out to the hall. 


	3. The Wedding Night

OK, so here's part three! I decided the ending I'd written before was a bit too steamy. so I rewrote it to be PG-13 and I think it's better this way (don't worry, I didn't take EVERYTHING out.. LOL) Also, if you're interested in the rather more eh, racy version of this, please just let me know and I'll put it up here as an 'alternative ending' or something.  
  
Thank you guys for your positive reviews! I have another story, which is still 'under construction' and your wonderful feedback had really inspired me to hurry up on that. It's an already finished story that I'm making major changes to, and I'd love to have a beta-reader to help me. Anybody out there who'd like to be my beta? I'd be really grateful. Also I wonder about my English occasionally, as I'm Dutch so writing in a language that's not my own can be difficult sometimes.  
  
Anyway, enough talk, enjoy part 3!  
  
THE WEDDING NIGHT  
  
With a small gesture of pride, Georg opened the door to the bridal suite, pushed it open completely, and then swooped Maria up in his arms to carry her over the threshold. Once inside, he gave her a soft kiss and set her to her feet in the middle of the room. Or, room? That was too small a word to describe the honeymoon suite. Maria gasped in admiration as she looked around. The suite had a sitting area with a fireplace, in which a cosy fire was already crackling. Next to two glasses, a bottle of champagne sat waiting in a cooler on a table in front of the sofa, by the fire. She turned and saw that behind her, there were steps leading upward to a higher area, where a large four-poster bed stood. It was made of dark wood, with cream coloured curtains, which were bundled at the posts and were more for decoration purposes than anything else. She also saw a high door on her right, which she thought would probably lead to the bathroom.  
  
"Oh Georg, it's beautiful," she exclaimed, putting her hands to her face in joy. "And that's not all," he said. He opened the double doors to the balcony, then took her by the hand and led her outside. He stepped away to stand behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, as they looked out onto the gorgeous sight spread out before them.  
  
The Altstadt Hotel was on the south bank of the river Salzach. And as the bridal suite was on the top floor, it offered a splendid view of the river, the Old City just across from it, and the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which towered over the city as if standing guard over it. For a while they just stood still, contently looking at the fairy tale at their feet. Maria noticed all the familiar sites, the Cathedral, the Palace at the Mirabell Gardens, and let her look linger long on the bell tower of Nonnberg Abbey. She was struck again at how life could have changed so dramatically in just a few months. In May, she had thought she would be a nun. but by August, she was a married woman, standing in the arms of her new husband on their wedding night. At that thought, Maria felt the nervousness rise inside of her again. What was to happen now? How did one behave on a wedding night? She'd quipped to Georg earlier today about how they needed to be patient for just a while, but the light-heartedness she'd felt then was gone now. She thought of all the people downstairs, who might still be enjoying a last glass of champagne, and who knew that at this very moment she was alone with her husband for the first time. She felt her stomach cringe. For a second she wished that she and Georg had given in yesterday, or last week, or any other time when they had had trouble pulling themselves out of a fiery embrace. It might have been easier and certainly more spontaneous if they'd just let their desire take over. This was such an artificial moment, she suddenly felt. No matter what they did now, what it would lead to would always be on her mind, making her nervous.  
  
Georg felt her stiffen in his arms a bit. He took her shoulders and gently turned her round. "What is it," he whispered softly. Maria tried to smile at him, but he could see her eyes weren't with it. So when she whispered 'nothing' back at him, he didn't believe her. Georg looked at her closely. She didn't look at his face, but kept her eyes locked on his chest. "Are you nervous," he asked. Pushing her face into his chest, she nodded. But his answer surprised her. "Would it make you feel better if you knew, that I am too?" Now, Maria did lift up her face to him in surprise. "Are you? Really?" Disbelief was on her face. "Why?" She had thought that Georg, with the experience from bringing forth seven children, could never be nervous for his wedding night. "Maria, I love you. I just want everything to be perfect for you and I am worried I will not turn out to be what you expect me to be."  
  
Oh, how could he not! Of course it would be perfect, Maria felt suddenly. His honesty melted her heart. It was such a relief that he could feel just as nervous as she. With a glad sigh they smiled at each other and the nervousness just seemed to evaporate into a loving embrace.  
  
For a while they stood kissing, then broke off the kiss to just stand close to each other. Georg stroked her hair, and felt her shiver a bit. He didn't know whether it was out of enjoyment or from the cold, but he noticed that it was getting rather chilly out on the balcony anyway. Maria must be freezing in her thin gown. "Come," he whispered, and led her back inside and onto the couch. He poured two glasses of champagne, and pulled Maria close to him. She snuggled into his arms with a satisfied sigh and they just sat like they had done so many nights before in the past weeks, staring into the flames of the fire and simply enjoying being in each other's arms.  
  
Maria slowly sipped her champagne. She had only drunk alcohol a few times since her engagement, and she wasn't used to the effect it had on her yet. It made her giggly. and somehow, she didn't feel giggly would be the right mood for tonight. So, she only took careful sips, mainly playing around with her glass a bit and relishing in the feeling of Georg so close to her.  
  
After a while, Maria felt Georg moving his head toward hers, and when he whispered into her ear, she almost felt it more that actually heard it. "Thank you for making me whole again." She felt a shiver shoot down her spine, as much caused by his words as his warm breath on her skin. She turned around to face him. "And thank you. For showing me the life I was born to live." For a moment, they just looked into each other's eyes. Then their heads moved slowly together, and a small moan escaped from Maria when she felt Georg's soft lips on hers. His lips never leaving hers, he took her champagne glass out of her hand and put it on the table. Kissing, they sank back into the pillows of the couch. Georg held Maria in a tight embrace with one hand on her back, while the other hand explored the soft skin on her neck. He let his fingers travel along the neckline of her dress, and felt her heartbeat fasten as she felt him on her sensitive skin. Then, Georg stood up from the couch and extended a hand to Maria. "Come," he whispered, and she took his hand and got up as well. He led her up the steps toward the bed. When they reached the bed, Maria stood still, looking down at her gown. Putting his arms around her, Georg smiled, "Your gown is beautiful. but don't you think you'll be more comfortable without it?" He looked at her face, and was glad to see he didn't encounter any of the apprehension she'd felt before anymore. On the contrary, her face broke into a shy, but also slightly excited smile. Rightly, he took that as a sign to go on, and his hands roamed her back, finding the buttons of her dress. Carefully, he opened them all, while she just stood still, her hands on his chest. When his was finished, he tilted his head at her, silently asking for her affirmation. At Maria's smile, he pushed the material of the dress of her shoulders, sliding his hands all the way down her arms to get the sleeves off her. With a rushing sound, the dress fell down to her feet in a cloud of silk. Georg breathed deeply for a moment when he saw her standing there, smiling, in her thin silk slip, her arms and shoulders bare. "You look absolutely beautiful," he told her, and helped her step out of the dress and out of her shoes. While standing close to him and looking at his face, Maria let her hands fumble the buttons of his coat, which soon joined her gown on the floor. When Georg's vest had also found a place with the other discarded clothes, they moved to the bed, trying to lie down while not wanting to stop kissing. When Maria was momentarily distracted, fidgeting with her slip a bit to get comfortable, Georg got up on one elbow and looked at her. When she turned her attention back to him again, her eyes were wide open, darker blue than he'd ever seen them, and her cheeks were flushed with excitement. The thin silk of her slip didn't hide much, and he admired her beautiful frame, the soft curve of her hips, her flat stomach, the rounding of her breasts. He felt his own excitement rise and he took a deep breath, promising silently to take it slow. He bent over her and his mouth found hers. Their hands were soon all over each other and their kisses became deeper. And while the last items of clothing dropped to the floor around the bed, they could finally give in and truly become one.  
  
The following morning, Georg woke up to the wonderful sensation of holding his new wife in his arms. She was still sleeping, and he enjoyed the opportunity to study her for a moment. She was beautiful, and silently, he wondered what he had done to deserve her. A ray of sunlight peeked through the curtains and gave a golden glow to her hair. Her lips were moist and red, still baring the traces of his kisses. The skin of her neck and her bare shoulders glowed, and practically seemed to beg him to kiss her. Maria seemed to feel him staring at her and opened her eyes. She turned around in his arms and snuggled her face into his neck. "Good morning," she mumbled softly. He kissed her hair and replied, "Good morning, Baroness." He felt her lips broaden into a smile on the skin of his neck. "I still have to get used to that," she said. "There might be more to being married to me that you'll have to get used to," he said, with a grin, but also half serious. "But I'm sure that you'll be able to handle all of it with skill!" Maria lifted up her head to be able to look at him. She stroked his chest with her hand, making tiny patterns on his skin with her finger. "So far I love everything about being married," she said, and kissed him. And then, softer: "Everything." She remained silent for a few seconds, and then continued: "I want to thank you for yesterday. It was beautiful.. The ceremony, the reception, this room. and you." He saw her face redden and knew what she meant. He pulled her even tighter.  
  
Then, with mock seriousness, he said: "Well dear, I think I should tell you something. I'm sorry to have to disappoint you for the first time during our marriage, but we won't be able to get on the 10 o'clock train to Paris this morning." "What," gasped Maria in surprise, not noticing the twinkle in his eyes. "No.." he went on. "Because the train that we've got tickets for, doesn't leave until 3 p.m." "Oh!" she exclaimed, and, noticing his mouth curving into a smile, punched him in the side. "You shouldn't upset me like that!" Georg laughed at her insulted look. With one swift move, he turned her onto her back and covered her mouth with his kisses. And from what followed, it seemed obvious that Maria was neither upset nor disappointed about their belated departure. 


	4. The Wedding Night R RATED VERSION!

So a lot of you were curious about my REALLY steamy version of the wedding night, weren't you?? ;-) Well... Here it is then. So to be clear, this is not a new chapter, but another version of chapter 3. This is definitely R-rated for quite explicit sexual content. If you don't like that kind of thing - this is the time to stop reading! Please be aware, that I absolutely don't want to offend anyone or do damage to the characters in TSOM in any way! I just like to, eh, fool around with them a bit..  
  
The lay-out was hopeless before, so I tried to fix it. Hope this looks better.  
  
Hope you enjoy it and please leave feedback (be it positive or negative). Thanks! JoolsFan  
  
THE WEDDING NIGHT  
  
With a small gesture of pride, Georg opened the door to the bridal suite, pushed it open completely, and then swooped Maria up in his arms to carry her over the threshold. Once inside, he gave her a soft kiss and set her to her feet in the middle of the room. Or, room? That was too small a word to describe the honeymoon suite. Maria gasped in admiration as she looked around. The suite had a sitting area with a fireplace, in which a cosy fire was already crackling. Next to two glasses, a bottle of champagne sat waiting in a cooler on a table in front of the sofa, by the fire. She turned and saw that behind her, there were steps leading upward to a higher area, where a large four-poster bed stood. It was made of dark wood, with cream coloured curtains, which were bundled at the posts and were more for decoration purposes than anything else. She also saw a high door on her right, which she thought would probably lead to the bathroom.  
  
"Oh Georg, it's beautiful," she exclaimed, putting her hands to her face in joy. "And that's not all," he said. He opened the double doors to the balcony, then took her by the hand and led her outside. He stepped away to stand behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, as they looked out onto the gorgeous sight spread out before them.  
  
The Altstadt Hotel was on the south bank of the river Salzach. And as the bridal suite was on the top floor, it offered a splendid view of the river, the Old City just across from it, and the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which towered over the city as if standing guard over it. For a while they just stood still, contently looking at the fairy tale at their feet. Maria noticed all the familiar sites, the Cathedral, the Palace at the Mirabell Gardens, and let her look linger long on the bell tower of Nonnberg Abbey. She was struck again at how life could have changed so dramatically in just a few months. In May, she had thought she would be a nun. but by August, she was a married woman, standing in the arms of her new husband on their wedding night. At that thought, Maria felt the nervousness rise inside of her again. What was to happen now? How did one behave on a wedding night? She'd quipped to Georg earlier today about how they needed to be patient for just a while, but the light-heartedness she'd felt then was gone now. She thought of all the people downstairs, who might still be enjoying a last glass of champagne, and who knew that at this very moment she was alone with her husband for the first time. She felt her stomach cringe. For a second she wished that she and Georg had given in yesterday, or last week, or any other time when they had had trouble pulling themselves out of a fiery embrace. It might have been easier and certainly more spontaneous if they'd just let their desire take over. This was such an artificial moment, she suddenly felt. No matter what they did now, what it would lead to would always be on her mind, making her nervous.  
  
Georg felt her stiffen in his arms a bit. He took her shoulders and gently turned her round. "What is it," he whispered softly. Maria tried to smile at him, but he could see her eyes weren't with it. So when she whispered 'nothing' back at him, he didn't believe her. Georg looked at her closely. She didn't look at his face, but kept her eyes locked on his chest. "Are you nervous," he asked. Pushing her face into his chest, she nodded. But his answer surprised her. "Would it make you feel better if you knew, that I am too?" Now, Maria did lift up her face to him in surprise. "Are you? Really?" Disbelief was on her face. "Why?" She had thought that Georg, with the experience from bringing forth seven children, could never be nervous for his wedding night. "Maria, I love you. I just want everything to be perfect for you and I am worried I will not turn out to be what you expect me to be."  
  
Oh, how could he not! Of course it would be perfect, Maria felt suddenly. His honesty melted her heart. It was such a relief that he could feel just as nervous as she. With a glad sigh they smiled at each other and the nervousness just seemed to evaporate into a loving embrace.  
  
For a while they stood kissing, then broke off the kiss to just stand close to each other. Georg stroked her hair, and felt her shiver a bit. He didn't know whether it was out of enjoyment or from the cold, but he noticed that it was getting rather chilly out on the balcony anyway. Maria must be freezing in her thin gown. "Come," he whispered, and led her back inside and onto the couch. He poured two glasses of champagne, and pulled Maria close to him. She snuggled into his arms with a satisfied sigh and they just sat like they had done so many nights before in the past weeks, staring into the flames of the fire and simply enjoying being in each other's arms.  
  
Maria slowly sipped her champagne. She had only drunk alcohol a few times since her engagement, and she wasn't used to the effect it had on her yet. It made her giggly. and somehow, she didn't feel giggly would be the right mood for tonight. So, she only took careful sips, mainly playing around with her glass a bit and relishing in the feeling of Georg so close to her.  
  
After a while, Maria felt Georg moving his head toward hers, and when he whispered into her ear, she almost felt it more that actually heard it. "Thank you for making me whole again." She felt a shiver shoot down her spine, as much caused by his words as his warm breath on her skin. She turned around to face him. "And thank you. For showing me the life I was born to live."  
  
For a moment, they just looked into each other's eyes. Then their heads moved slowly together, and a small moan escaped from Maria when she felt Georg's soft lips on hers. His lips never leaving hers, he took her champagne glass out of her hand and put it on the table. Kissing, they sank back into the pillows of the couch. Georg held Maria in a tight embrace with one hand on her back, while the other hand explored the soft skin on her neck. He let his fingers travel along the neckline of her dress, and felt her heartbeat fasten as she felt him on her sensitive skin. His hands caressed her back, her arms, her face.  
  
Then, when he felt his desire growing stronger, Georg stood up from the couch and extended a hand to Maria. "Come," he whispered, and she took his hand and got up as well. He led her up the steps toward the bed. When they reached the bed, Maria stood still, looking down at her gown. Putting his arms around her, Georg smiled, "Your gown is beautiful. but don't you think you'll be more comfortable without it?" He looked at her face, and was glad to see he didn't encounter any of the apprehension she'd felt before anymore. On the contrary, her face broke into a shy, but also slightly excited smile. Rightly, he took that as a sign to go on, and his hands roamed her back, finding the buttons of her dress. Carefully, he opened them all, while she just stood still, her hands on his chest. When his was finished, he tilted his head at her, silently asking for her affirmation. At Maria's smile, he pushed the material of the dress of her shoulders, sliding his hands all the way down her arms to get the sleeves off her. With a rushing sound, the dress fell down to her feet in a cloud of silk.  
  
Georg breathed deeply for a moment when he saw her standing there, smiling, in her thin silk slip, her arms and shoulders bare. "You look absolutely beautiful," he told her, and helped her step out of the dress and out of her shoes.  
  
While standing close to him and looking at his face, Maria let her hands fumble the buttons of his coat, which soon joined her gown on the floor. When Georg's vest had also found a place with the other discarded clothes, they moved to the bed, trying to lie down while not wanting to stop kissing.  
  
When Maria was momentarily distracted, fidgeting with her slip a bit to get comfortable, Georg got up on one elbow and looked at her. When she turned her attention back to him again, her eyes were wide open, darker blue than he'd ever seen them, and her cheeks were flushed with excitement. The thin silk of her slip didn't hide much, and he admired her beautiful frame, the soft curve of her hips, her flat stomach, the rounding of her breasts. He felt his own excitement rise and he took a deep breath, promising silently to take it slow.  
  
He bent over her and his mouth found hers. As his hands began caressing her body, a soft moan escaped from Maria's lips. The silk of her slip was so thin, that she felt the warmth of his hands on her as though there was nothing between them. She was amazed at the tingle she felt as his strong, but surprisingly soft hands travelled over her stomach, her thighs, and up her sides. When Georg started trailing kisses along the line of her neck and she felt his hot breath on the skin between her breasts, she felt a jolt of pleasure shoot down to her stomach and she let out a soft "ah" in surprise.  
  
His hands moved up slowly, and she felt his fingers caress the curve of her breasts, then moving up even higher to cup them completely, touching her softly and arousing her more than she thought possible.  
  
Even though Maria loved the new sensations Georg was making her feel, she was not satisfied to just lie back and let it happen. So she gently pushed him back into the pillows and bent over to kiss him, feeling it was now Georg's turn to lie back while she went exploring a bit.  
  
She undid the top buttons of his shirt with one hand, supporting her weight on the other, and playfully trailed her index finger over every bit of his skin that she exposed. Then she let her kisses wonder downward too. She kissed him with little butterfly kisses, which drove him insane, all along his neck, his ribs, until she reached his flat, muscular stomach. Having undone all the buttons, Maria pushed aside his shirt and rubbed her hand over his bare chest, admiringly looking at his torso.  
  
Wanting to feel her more, Georg pulled her toward him in a sudden movement, so that she lost her balance and fell on top of him. The both laughed, but quickly their laughter was smothered in kisses. Georg moaned deeply as he enjoyed the feeling of her weight on him, her breasts pressing against his bare chest, and his hands roaming over her back. He felt the zipper of her slip and slowly started pulling it down. When he was done, he moved his hands to her shoulders, wanting to slip the material off of her. But Maria took his hand, making him stop his movement.  
  
"What is it, am I going too fast," he whispered in her ear. "No," she murmured. "But wait.."  
  
She sat up on her knees next to him and moved up higher, until she was sitting next to his chest. She looked at his face and smiled, a little shyly, but also happily. Then she took his hand in hers, moved it up to her shoulder, and pushed the silk strap downward with his hand. Then she put his hand on her other shoulder and let go of him. He didn't move for a second, until he saw her nod, almost invisibly, that it was ok. With a careful, almost sacred gesture, he pushed away the silk from her other shoulder as well. The sleek material slid down her arms and body and fell around her waist. He looked at her in silent admiration. As he laid her gently down beside him, he carefully peeled the last of her clothing away from her.  
  
She now lay in front of him completely naked and he let his eyes drift over her in complete awe. She was gorgeous, perfect, her skin soft and warm, and she seemed to glow from within. And even though he could see a glimpse of nervousness in her face, she also looked at him with eyes so full of trust it almost brought him to tears. He swore again to be careful. to make this first time for her as special as was within his power to give her. Without much further ceremony, Georg quickly removed what was left of his own clothing and lay down next to her on the bed. Maria looked at him, filled with love and curiosity. She had never seen a naked man before, especially not in such an obviously aroused state as Georg at this moment. He was glad to see her curiosity - at least it showed that she felt comfortable and at ease, reasoned Georg. He just let her look for a while, knowing she was receiving so many new impressions, and not wanting to hurry her.  
  
As she satisfied her eyes, Maria also let her hands do some exploring. She stroked his chest, running her fingers through his chest hair, then moved down across his stomach to his navel. She stroked his thighs, his sides, and while enjoying her exploration, Maria kept glancing at Georg's face. She wanted to learn how he would react to her caresses, and despite her lack of experience, she could easily tell he was approving of her actions. Their hands were soon all over each other and their touches and kisses became more urgent. Georg let his hand drift downwards and bit his lip in excitement when he felt her warm, wet centre. Maria's breath fastened and she shivered as she was completely overwhelmed by everything Georg was making her feel.  
  
She had been right, she'd known all along there was more to lovemaking than just letting her husband have his way, and she enjoyed every minute of it. She wondered at the tingle of her skin, the butterflies in her stomach, the wetness between her legs, and she trusted Georg completely. He knew she was as ready as he was and carefully, Georg rolled her onto her back and settled himself on top of her gently. Carrying his weight on one arm, he softly stroked her face with the other hand.  
  
"Are you all right," he asked softly, looking into her dark blue eyes, which were filled with desire. She didn't say anything, but just nodded in affirmation.  
  
Slowly, carefully, he placed himself against her warm entrance and entered her. She seemed startled for a moment, but then looked up to him with her eyes wide open in an expression of aroused, happy wonder. Georg's mouth found hers, and they melted together, riding the waves of their love and passion as they finally were one. 


End file.
